We say farewell to my parents at Melbourne’s Tullamarine International Airport as Charlie and I embark on another adventure, this time it’s just the two of us together to Singapore. The flight to Singapore with Scoot is a turbulent one from the very start of launching up into the air. And it’s not like the normal short-lived turbulence. This turbulence goes on and on, up and down and the butterflies in my stomach just makes me feel a little more nervous than usual.

Then I hear the sound of crying. I look around behind me stretching my neck up and around as I’m sitting in the middle chair in the middle seated section of the plane. I see a young woman a couple of aisles back from us breathing heavily and crying, clutching at her lap. I think she’s having a panic attack. No one else seems to be noticing her as well we are all pretty much focussing on holding on to our seats and the air personnel are all up either end of the plane seated as well. I turn back and notice the young woman sitting on the seat to my right is doing some sort of prayer and reading a booklet with Chinese characters imprinted on the pages over and over. I’m thinking what the heck is going on here!? Between panic attacks and prayers we’re all in this together…this one ginormous plane full of butterfly stomached passengers up and down. The woman behind continues her incessant cry while the woman beside me pulls out an A5 piece of cardboard and starts reading it – lips moving and letting out a slight mumble. Finally after some time the turbulence stops…the woman behind stops crying but the woman beside me continues reading.

I’m curious and can’t help but ask her what she’s reading. And then begins a lovely conversation about Buddhism called Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. A quick Google on the subject provides me with this explanation: Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door belongs to the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and encourages people to recite Buddhist scriptures (sutras and mantras) on a daily basis, practise life liberation (ie. saving the lives of beings destined for slaughter), and make great vows to help more people. She is also snacking on her own lunch. She and her clan (also in the plane reading their A5 cardboard booklets) are heading to Singapore for a big Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door get together. I wish her the best and tell her I will look it up.

We arrive into a sun-soaked Singapore from Melbourne at 6pm. The city is commonly referred to as The Lion City even though lion’s have never been recorded as living on the island state but at just 719.1km squares (after land reclamation) it spreads itself out over 64 offshore islands. Singapore is just one of three sovereign city-states that exist in the world today, the others being Monaco and the Vatican City. Also Singapore is considered to be the second most digitally connected country in the world. We’ll soon test that out!

It’s a warm 33 degree muggy night and the glow of the sky is welcoming after feeling the glum and cold somewhat in hometown Melbourne for a week. Charlie is a little glum after having to leave her “life” and friends in Melbourne and return to South East Asia where we will finally depart our Hoi’An home in a little over a week and finish the 365-day family backpacking journey together by mid-December. Life’s tough as a teen international traveler…but I’m sure that just the two of us will enjoy exploring this exciting city together as a little reward for all the hard work and study Charlie has done via distance to formally finish her studies with Distance Education Victoria with the sitting of her Year 12 exam Health & Human Development.

We walk outside, find a taxi and show him the name of our hostel in Boat Quay. And as we get comfortable in the back seat, he turns around to us and says he doesn’t know where the place we want to go actually is. So we jump back out with our backpacks and jump into the next taxi. The new driver is a little younger and confirms he knows where we’re wanting to go. I always get a little hesitant in my abilties to pull this travel from airport to accommodation thing off on my own, as Steve is always the one hailing and negotiating with the taxis as he is the one who books all the accommodation. Anyway…keep breathing I tell myself.

The ride into the city is a pleasant one. The first thing we notice driving along the main road are the old trees either side of us on the reclaimed land. They’re majestic and beautiful and well looked after and neatly pruned of old branches. The next thing we notice is just how clean, tidy and ordered the place is. Of course most people have heard of the Singaporean style of clean streets and an ordered life thanks to former and first Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kwan Yew. He is known as modern Singapore’s founding father and sat at the helm for three decades. He’s best known for his leadership of transitioning Singapore from third world to first world in just one generation. It’s finally nice to see it in person. And we can confirm it’s true of the city – it’s clean and green. We pass by a billboard stating: “Let’s Make Singapore Our Garden”.

Our taxi driver happily chats with us while he’s driving suggesting some of the things to see and do around Singapore. He mentions it is quite expensive but if we head out from the main CBD and flashy touristy areas of the bay area and get to places like the Maxwell Hawker Centre or Chinatown we will enjoy the best authentic meals the city has to offer with a beer. And then he tells us to look out the left window for a surprise as soon as we get onto the overpass.

Wow!

And there it is in the golden sunset light what seems to be a long, colossal ship (yes ship) balancing atop a skyscraper (yes skyscraper)! Our jaws drop open while the taxi driver chuckles at us, and I’m scrambling for my camera while pressing the window button down. This picture was the best I could manage from the moving car and Charlie and I are left with an excitement in the pits of out tummies. Welcome to Singapore!

And this is what the balancing act looks like closer up…

So the question is: Can travellers slum it in Singapore?

And the answer: Hmmm…maybe. So let’s try it out!

Based on the current cost of living and traveling associated with staying in and exploring Singapore, the word slumming is not a word travelers nor many backpackers would use all too often to describe their stay and experience on the warm, tropical island state. Bloggers are always complaining about how expensive it is here and although I would tend to agree with them if all six of us were here for a week or so, we know it’s not something we could afford as a family tribe. But just like our friendly taxi driver mentioned to us, there are alternatives for a quick and cheaper stay in Singapore that won’t break the bank. The easiest ones are obvious: stay for a shorter period of time and visit Singapore without the whole family in tow! Tick and tick. What else?

It’s our first visit in Singapore. I have done no major research on the place except a brief overview of some of the main sights to see after a quick conversation with my parents who adore Singapore as their preferred place to stop over on almost any flight anywhere! Of course Raffles Hotel is world renown and we happen to pass by it in our taxi. Currently it’s hidden under scaffolding and is having a face-lift of sorts. Steve has booked us a three-night stay which is all we could muster in this lucrative city on a backpacker’s budget. But there are ways of being smart and frugal here and it all comes down to choice. Isn’t that always the case?

We really enjoy our stay in Singapore. And although it’s definitely a much more expensive to travel in this city than other cities of South East Asia, it didn’t mean we couldn’t enjoy ourselves with some of these handy and what I’ve coined ‘Slumming it in Singapore Survival Skills’ to fully embrace Singaporean culture and create some memories here.

#1 – Book a Hostel

5 Foot Way Inn hostel is located right on the waterfront at Boat Quay with a view to match alongside the likes of many of the big name hotels that also hug the riverside, but doesn’t come with the as hefty price tag. Sure the room itself can feel more like a broom cupboard than an actual room, but with just the two of us and only staying for three nights, we found we never really spent all that much time in our room anyway. Having said that, it is the most expensive hostel we have ever paid for at A$30 per night per person.

Another good idea before booking the more-like-a broom-cupboard-accommodation is to know what other areas the hostel offers its guests. 5 Foot Way Inn offered a welcoming and comfy ground floor lounge area as well as a fully decked out kitchen upstairs with tables, chairs, lounge and large balcony overlooking the river. There’s even a coffee machine! Not only did we utilise all these spaces and amenities at the hostel, but we appreciated the million dollar Singapore River views over a bowl of crunchy cereal, fruit or for the sweet tooth the multilayered multi-coloured rainbow Lapis which I’m told is authentically eaten layer by layer! I stuck to the cereal while Charlie kept with the fruit. Make sure the breakfast option is included in accommodation before booking as it just makes life that little bit easier and that little bit cheaper.

#2 – Eat the Local Food

Before we do that…there’s been one thing I’ve always wanted to do in Singapore…enjoy a Singapore Sling in, you guessed it, Singapore! So we arrive and pretty much within 5 minutes walk out of our hostel and straight into one of the waterfront restaurants and order a Singapore Sling. It’s a lovely balmy night, the twinkling lights of the city have sprinkled out across the river and life just feels spectacular. How lucky am I to be sharing this experience with Charlie girl? Yep. Very lucky.

We’re up for being bold on our first night in Singapore and decide to walk to the closest underground train station, purchase tickets and ride the train to Chinatown. Chinatown located on Smith Street is home to plenty of food stalls that deliver the perfect traditional and tasty Chicken Rice meal for just 5 Singaporean dollars (S$5) each. The traditional Chicken Rice is a combination of fatty rice and juicy chicken that was created by migrants from Hainan. It looks small but it’s absolutely filling and the atmosphere is alive and vibrant. Lights, people and food stalls fill the street.

The following night we venture out to the Maxwell Hawker Centre for an authentic Laksa with vermicelli served in a curry-like soup which warmed me up even more so for just S$4. Charlie opted for another Chicken Rice dish and we enjoyed a cold beer and Sothersby (S$9), and the atmosphere here is well and truly relaxed and friendly.

On Tuesday Charlie and I explore Bras Basah Bugis precinct explicitly to visit the National Library of Singapore that says has a lovely rooftop garden. But when we arrive to the library, we soon discover that there is no lovely rooftop garden, but we are allowed to catch the lift up to one of the floors and take some photos. We’re here anyway so we do just that. It’s a colourful view against a backdrop of grey weather.

We find ourselves in an amazing street corner restaurant called JinJin Eating House (located near Bugis MRT) that is displaying a smorgasbord of Malay culinary delights of meat and vegetable dishes. It was a matter of lining up with the locals – which by the way is the best way to judge if a food joint is good or not for the unknowing foreigner. The best advice: if the locals line up then it’s good tucker so line up too. We lined up and followed the locals pointing at the foods we wanted on our plates and then shuffle along and pay at the register. Easy peasy and oh so deliciously tasty. We order two plates full of fish, meat and vegetables for S$12.20 combined. Our stomachs are full.

#3 – Walk and Use the Public Transport System (MRT)

The best and cheapest option for getting around Singapore’s attractions is by foot combined with a public transport tourist pass. Charlie and I walked (on average) 15km per day and that was in conjunction with using the MRT tourist pass (purchase a 1, 2 or 3-day tourist pass and tap on to all trains – both above and under ground – and buses in the city). We didn’t have weeks to explore so the tourist pass gave us quick and easy access to many corners of this sprawling city from China Town to Little India to Tiong Bahru. There is a S$10 deposit on the wallet sized cards which is refunded when you hand them back at the airport train stations before departing the country. Easy peasy yet again. Loving how easy Singapore actually is to get around and enjoy ourselves.

#4 – See Most of the Sights

There is SOOOO much to see, do and experience in Singapore. For such a small island country, there is much to see. So in just three short days our day and night schedule is well and truly booked up. We return to our dorm room after a morning and afternoon of exploring to lock ourselves away for some much needed rest and rejuvenation and give our legs a chance to restore themselves. The only way is to rest before heading back out at night time to enjoy the magical nightlife and lights of Singapore. Here’s some of the attractions:

Orchard Road – we didn’t venture out to see the famous Orchard Road, because well I’m not that keen on high end retail shops and shopping in general. So we skipped that one so we could take in more culturally rich experiences.

Marina Bay – is the epicentre and engine of the economy. Marina Bay Sands, an integrated resort in and around this precinct is a an array of 5-star hotels, white collar drinking holes along Amoy Street and the architectural wonder Gardens by the Bay. It’s a lot of glitz inside, with the big retail shops, an extensive water feature (looks more like a long pool) and amazing windows which is nice to see, but the real reason we’re here is to head up the lift to that ship balancing atop the Marina Bay Sands hotel. There’s also the Singapore Flyer which gives visitors a birds eye view in a giant Ferris wheel (we didn’t do the Ferris wheel as we opted for the Skydeck – explained later). And even on a grey and overcast day, the spectacular-ness of this area is still amazing to walk around and see.

Gardens by the Bay – is a 101 hectares/250 acres of reclaimed land in central Singapore that showcases three waterfront gardens. It was a strategy of the Singaporean government to transform Singapore from a “garden City” to a “City in a Garden” by enhancing the greenery and flora within the city. And they have certainly achieved what they set out to create. It’s amazing and a must visit while in Singapore.

Gardens by the Bay on a grey day:

Gardens by the Bay at night time:

Smith Street, Chinatown – Charlie and I ventured down here a couple of times for a meal and wander. It’s beautiful at night time with the hundreds of lanterns criss crossing the streets.

And not too far from the Chinatown is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. We didn’t get to see it during the day, but walked past the amazing temple and it’s cascading oriental rooftop and impressive brass studded wooden door and muscled statues guarding the tooth relic location at night time on the way to the Maxwell Hawker Centre.

Little India – another MRT train journey out to Little India is an easy way to see another cultural element to Singapore’s bow. The land here was a former racecourse and the place where migrant Indian migrants raised livestock, traded and settled. The major Hindu temple Sri Veeramakaliamman temple with its very elaborate facade is named after Kali, the Destroyer of Evil which was built here to protect Indians in their adopted country. I just loved seeing the shoes left out the front of the temple. Brings back lovely memories from our time in India itself at the start of our year away. And the main street of Little India, Serangaon Road, is overtly decorative with its pink coloured street scene and marigold stalls.

Kampong Glam – is the historic heart of Malay aristocracy pre-colonial rule. And here stands the 1824 Sultan Mosque which according to some legend, the dome base is made from soy sauce glass bottle that were donated by the poorer members of the community. I ask some people if this is indeed true, but no one can verify this as fact or fiction. But the golden dome of the mosque is shining bright in the dull grey sky. We enjoy the cultural roads of Arab Street and Haji Lane with its array of interesting shops and cafes.

And while you’re there, look out for the illusionary paper thin building. It had us stumped for a while!

Tiong Bahru – I love visiting bookshops when I’m travelling. It’s my version of clothes shopping at a mall. So I find a bookshop that people rave about when in Singapore. Just one problem – it’s out woop woop and requires a long underground train journey, bus and walk to get there. But the lady behind the glass window at the train station seems certain we will be able to find the book shop with her directions. I’m a little more uncertain but maintain a level of “we can do it” attitude. Train journey – tick. Bus journey – tick. Now what? Hmmm…the bookshop called Books Actually is no where to be seen. So the handy Google Maps comes out and assists us in following a laneway due south. Charlie leads the way and I follow behind taking photos of this new, and suburban Singaporean environment.

Yong Siak Street is considered to be one of the most densely populated streets in Singapore but the once quiet residential 1950s Art Deco area has been transformed into a hip place with trendy retail outlets, cafes and scrumptious bakeries.

Books Actually is one of those shops. It’s definitely a destination stop. We’re surprised to see standing out the front of the bookshop a book dispenser – yes not a drinks dispenser, but a book dispenser! It’s an awesome idea where you put your money in and out comes a mystery book!

Once inside I’m literally feeling like I’ve reached heaven! There are books lining the walls and stacked beautifully in the middle of the room. Plus there is an assortment of old world charm including maps, bags, bags and other delights. Charlie does her once round and is ready to depart, but she knows me too well to think our time has ended so quickly here. She’s lovely and patient and allows me to soak up the essence of this amazing space and dream my bookshop dreams.

The other delightful aspect of Tiong Bahru are the paintings depicting Singaporean life along its back streets.

Sands SkyPark Observation Deck – we left seeing this sight until our final night, hoping for a clear afternoon and glorious sunset and we got it on our final night in Singapore. Deciding to pay the S$23 each ticket to go up a fast lift to the observation deck was a process of will we-won’t we until we decided yep let’s do it and make the most of our time up here by arriving in the late afternoon and staying until evening so we could appreciate the view at sunset as well as the lights below.

Charlie and I ended staying up there all night! It was great sitting and chatting together on the decking and sipping on Singapore Sling slushies (oops). The views are amazing.

I must admit others, that is patrons staying at the Marina Sands Resort probably had a more comfortable and breathtaking city skyline view than what we did – sitting in the infinity pool sipping on champagne (photo below). This is for hotel guests only.

And at dusk…a perfect spot for quiet reflection high up overlooking the city of Singapore.

Gardens by the Bay Cloud Mountain Dome – another highlight was experiencing the Cloud Mountain Dome. It was a hefty S$28 each to enter but it was worth it. We learnt so much about Cloud Mountains and the habitat as well as enjoying the experience of walking through this tranquil and green man-made mountain. We experienced the waterfall, a wedding photography session, and the event of mist that set in around the top of the mountain. At the exit there is a theatre that loops mini documentaries and a room full of information and models about planet earth that addresses many aspects of climate change and humans stranglehold on the environment. I think we wandered around for over 3 hours inside the dome.

Something that grabbed my eye was the Lego created flowers within the garden.

#5 – Remember to Live It Up A Little!

This was my first time to Singapore, so what I saved on accommodation, food and public transport expenses I more than made up for on what I call the “live it up” items such as enjoying a sunset Singapore Sling cocktail along the waterfront. The old saying is true, rob Peter to pay for Paul mentality is how it works best so there was some balance to our experiences in Singapore. We found the best Singapore Sling to be had on top of the Marina Bay Sands that came slushy style in a large plastic cup! Yep who would have thought that was possible but it was and is. Charlie and I watched the sun set and the lights of Gardens by the Bay come on from our lofty 56 floor height at Sands SkyPark Observation Deck.

I know this is easier said than done as there were only two of us (rather than the typical 6-person family and accompanying expenses) which adjusts the usual budget immensely. But it can be done and the experience is more than rewarding.

Next we board another plane for a quick skip across South East Asia back into Da Nang International Airport (thank goodness for multiple entry visas!) where we will be reunited with the rest of the Sixbackpacks crew in our home away from home base Hoi’An. This is our final week in Hoi’An and there’s plenty on – birthdays, packing, goodbyes, cleaning up, and decisions about our immediate future – will heading to Bali be troublesome with Mount Agung continually erupting, and our longer term future – will we continue traveling, return home or create something else?

Charlie and I depart a very wet and miserably grey Da Nang International Airport at 3:45pm on 4 November and arrive into crispy, cold yet sunny home town Melbourne the following morning. Cold and dry versus warm and flooded. We have contact from Steve, who is now four hours behind us time wise, that Hoi’An has received so much rain in the last day that the town will definitely flood. We are here for one week so that Charlie can sit a final year exam.

We knew we were returning to Melbourne from the get go as Distance Education do not permit “travelling students” whose parents are not working overseas to sit these final year exams overseas or interstate. Unless you provide a letter from your overseas employer. Not us.

Flying past the wet clouds that hang over Da Nang, we reach the sun setting which is stunning from up here. Charlie is ULTRA excited about being back in Melbourne that she’s planned each day already and the first few are catching up with her friends.

Hoi’An Floods

In fact, Hoi’An floods so much that it reaches or surpasses its 1999 flood levels of 3.3m! The photos that are being fed back to Charlie and me back in Australia are too hard to comprehend. Streets that we would cycle along on a daily basis are completely submerged, and while Steve and the three girls are trapped inside for a couple of days due to the incessant rain, when it finally stops Steve and Dacey get out on their bicycles to investigate what the Old Town and Cua Dai Road actually looks like now.

Our landlady Dao’s clothing shop in Old Town is under water greater than her own height! They have had to move everything up to the second floor. Locals and expats are forced to evacuate their homes as the water levels rise and enter their homes. It’s a strange spectacle seeing photos of boats operating up and down the main streets of Old Town instead of bicycles and motorbikes and pedestrians.

Luckily for us we are living in a house that is located near the Cua Dai beach, and we are a street away from the river. We are also on higher land so the flood didn’t reach us, except of course for the damp coming through the walls and the growing of mould once the sun and heat came out again.

The Hoi’An Central Market, one of our favourite cafes Mia Cafe and the Japanese Bridge change in just one week – from flood to no flood. Here are the photos we receive from Steve and Dacey on the ground in Hoi’An at this time while Charlie and I are in Melbourne. Unbelievable!

Charlie and I miss out on the flood in Hoi’An but we arrive back home for the first time since we left on 19 December 2017. Charlie is soooo excited. She’s sitting on the window seat and I’m piggy in the middle. The woman beside me on the aisle seat is prone to moving a lot and nudging her arm across mine. So getting any decent sleep is proving difficult on this flight. But in one moment I nod off due to exhaustion and wake to see Charlie beaming at me with a huge smile and the news that we’re flying over Australia. Her legs are moving excitedly – like she’s won something valuable. She is very much looking forward to catching up with her friends. And one friend greets her at the international arrival gates. Lots of hugs and squeals.

But my very first thoughts on arriving back into home town Melbourne is this:

It’s so bloody cold (we have been following the sun all year but sunshine helps ease the pain)

Everything is the same (nothing changes even over the course of a year)

Life here feels way too ordered and organised for me now

There’s too much focus on sweating the small stuff here

Where the hell is everyone? There’s no one out on the streets!

There is so much space and land. Where did it all come from?

Catching Up with Family & Friends

It’s great seeing my parents greet us at the airport. The last time we saw them was early in our travel year in Buldhana, rural India back in March. It’s almost like a practice homecoming. We then head off to have breakfast together and catch up over a real café latte. And although they purchase breakfast for us, the thing I notice instantly is just HOW VERY EXPENSIVE IT IS! OMG!

My brother Jarrod and nephew Dylan also come down to the café and we enjoy cuddles with my nephew. He’s a lovely boy. But he’s a little impatient too and would prefer to see Dacey (our youngest) who is his favourite cousin. But she’s back in Hoi’An. Their reunion will have to wait.

Charlie has organised all sorts of catch ups with friends over the next few days as it’s Melbourne Cup Day long weekend, so already I’m back in our Honda SUV and driving her to Riddells Creek. It’s started I moan in my head – the driving, the picking up… I haven’t driven all year but it all comes back quickly and easily enough (which is kind of scary).

We drive through our little town of Riddells Creek, and nothing has changed. Except someone has painted their front gates in the Footy Grand Final winning team colours – yellow and black (Tigers). We drive past our house, still the same. Then we drop in to see our two dogs – Fudge Face and Oscar. They’re happy to see us and healthy. I don’t think Oscar knows or remembers who we are, but I get the feeling Fudge Face does as she looks right up at my face.

I get to hang out on the farm with my parents, and take a visit to see my nearly 95-year old grandmother in her home, see my brother in action at his job moving dirt in big yellow earth moving equipment, visit Stormy the Shetland, and catch up with my uncle for dinner. Being back at home is not so bad after all, except for the intense hay fever with watering eyes and snuffed up nose I experienced each day. A friend had suggested I see how I feel when I was back home, which may assist me in making a decision. But is my overall enjoyment at being back only because I know we have return tickets back overseas? Hmmm…

I drive down to see Sue and Baz and spend the afternoon with them on Melbourne Cup Day. Sue is getting around the house in her wheel chair and there’s a new long ramp from the back door down into the back yard so that she can get out of the house in an emergency. The recovery is slow. The healing process of the bones can be slower due to age and the femur bone is the largest bone in the entire human body! It’s frustrating for someone so active to be sent home from an overseas trip to sit and not move around. The good news is that a recent x-ray has shown good healing of the femur bone break, which means that sometime after Christmas Sue will be able to start rehabilitation. It’s probably a 4- to 6-month journey. And Baz’s hand is looking much better since it’s had time to heal.

But it’s great to catch up and see them again, especially since our parting in Laos was less than joyous one afternoon in the Vientiane Friendship Hospital. My sister in law Andrea visits too and we enjoy a brief catch up. The next time we will see them as at Christmas time which I’m looking forward to celebrating with them.

I have a dinner date with my former Salesian development department team Ebony and Amber plus Con and Deb and Peter come along too. It’s so lovely to see them and catch up together in person. I miss my work colleagues.

A visit to the Real Estate Agent, and an enquiry as to why we haven’t had a response from the email I sent them… Well we are onto our third or is it fourth rental property manager in just one year, and no one thought to inform us of this change! Frustratingly subpar communication.

The Exam

Charlie enjoys catching up with friends and surprising others for birthdays. But now it’s time to read over her notes, and prepare for the exam.

The one thing I’ve enjoyed is helping Charlie revise for her Year 12 Health & Human Development exam. Charlie is self-motivated and well organised and creates small cue cards that I test her knowledge on. She’s a mix of nerves and confidence and the proportions of each change all of the time. But on the morning of the exam, I drop her to Gisborne Secondary College to sit her first final year exam. Next year will be more. Later on she lets me know she thinks she’s done well. Results will tell when they’re out on the 15 December. The waiting game starts.

But now she is finished. No more books or study materials or photocopied papers to lug around with us. She’s very happy school is complete for the year. She’s done very well with Distance Education too, I think more than she first thought.

A Final Decision…Please

I tentatively talk with my parents about the possibility of our family continuing on the traveling journey. Charlie and Ash sent an SOS out to them when Steve and I told the kids we would be continuing for a second year on the road, most likely making Hoi’An our home base and getting jobs there. So I was a little unsure what their thoughts would be on our so called decision and the impact it might have on our children’s lives. But I was very surprised. They were open and understanding. There was no rescue package occurring for the kids. I think my parents were planning their trip over to visit us in Hoi’an in 2018!

But the reality of having teenagers is that friends are their whole world at this point in their lives. It’s so hard – we want to continue, but they are adamant they don’t want to. Everything is once again in lingo so I will wait until I’m back in Hoi’An when Steve and I twill sit and chat and make the decision as to what’s best for us all.

Before we know it the week is up. Charlie is not happy about returning to Hoi’An via a few nights stop over in Singapore for the simple fact that she just wants to hang out with her friends. But we are heading back to finish our year of travel and finally make a decision about our family’s future.

We are glad to share that Sue has arrived back into Melbourne safe and sound with Baz and she is currently staying in hospital until her condition can be assessed and details and timeline about moving forward can be determined and put into action.

Steve’s back in Hoi’An after a tumultuous time going to and fro from the Bangkok hospital to various locations in Laos and dealing with travel insurance company mishaps (there were many!). At times it’s been a real circus and I don’t wish the experience we’ve had – of broken femur bone or managing insurance companies and all the rigmarole that ensues – on anyone. So moving right along…and finishing that chapter. Unfortunately for Sue, the journey continues back at home to get her back to health.

Steve is completely exhausted after dealing with red tape travel insurance mishaps for two weeks regarding his mum’s health care overseas. He’s been through the ringer (an Aussie term for hardship) so he’s slept a lot in the first few days of being back here with us in Hoi’An and has been able to unwind and process exactly what happened all those weeks ago.

This fourth fortnight of our family living in Hoi’An is different yet again. We all hire an ebike and have some family fun, while I go and see a Vietnamese Sharman who provides me with some interesting insight. Then we hang out with a traveling family from World Family Travel who are a couple traveling the world with their two boys (aged 13 and 11). They’re coming up to a five-year travel milestone. And I get the low down from Alyson from World Family Travel how to start monetising my travel blog. Exciting times.

Then of course it’s Halloween and we discover Dacey’s unusual talents of creating life-like open wounds and bullet holes using her own home made concoctions and her creative pursuits are high in demand in Hoi’An for Halloween night. Plus, there’s an array of authentic Vietnamese dining occasions we get to enjoy with our landlords and a special meeting with a young Vietnamese man named Jimmy who is committed to making a real difference to the poor people of Vietnam with his soup kitchen charity. Charlie and I at the end of this fortnight prepare to travel back home to Melbourne for just one week so she can sit a final year exam. Whoa! Overwhelmingly busy.

It’s been another amazing time in Hoi’An and I wouldn’t swap our experiences for the world. So special. We even tried fresh river snails out at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant with Dao and Chuong but passed on the eels which are caught en mass during the middle of the night with lights just once a year in the rainy season (which is now) in Hoi’An.

Online with Alyson

So if you’ve been reading this blog post from the start, you’ll know that way back in Portugal we declared that we were intending on starting an online business called Itching2Travel. And although it has been in my thoughts, often filed way up the back of my mind, it nevertheless is still a seed of an idea that I want to plant and grow. But time and distractions, like traveling and enjoying the moment, plus just keeping up with my travel journal here have taken priority. That was until I met Alyson.

After spending a couple of hours with Alyson at Mia Café (one of the best coffee cafes in Hoi’An) early one Friday morning before attending my writing class, I was full of information and so many questions on how travel blogs can actually be transformed from a lovely family-friendly travel journal to a travel blog that makes money. And as I already knew, there’s plenty of things in the big online blog world that I don’t know or understand, but I am intrigued and certainly interested in how Alyson has successfully created her own online travel business and makes money from which allows her and her family of four to continue traveling the world. And of course I want to know how to do that for Sixbackpacks or Itching2Travel!

It’s not an instant hey-press-here-and-earn-heaps-of-money kind of thing, but with hard work and plenty of steep and stretch learning, it is possible. I think it has more to with commitment and tenacity and I kind of like that proposition. There’s obviously a steep learning curve involved from the get go – it’s one thing to blog and upload travel pics, but an entirely different thing to make money from your blog. It’s a mixture of technical knowhow and science with a bit of creative juice thrown in for good luck! I think I can see myself doing this.

I mention to the girls some of the concepts I’ve acquired within my 2-hour session of ears open with Alyson while drowning smooth cups of café lattes at Mia’s Café (the bonus of online businesses is that you can work from cafes). The girls have no idea what I’m on about, their eyes roll (this is becoming standard protocol lately) and they’re not trying to hide it all that much either. These girls of mine think I have no idea what’s involved to make a living off of this blog. And maybe they were right a little while ago, like two hours ago, but now…I think I have some sense of the possibility now.

I need to make a commitment to the direction I want to take. It’s not possible to be half pregnant and I think my session with Alyson and listening to what she knows from five years of self-learning is what it’ll take to transform my baby blog too. Watch this space folks!

Hidden Beach Disappears

In the afternoon Steve and I take a casual bike ride down to Hidden Beach with Billie and Dacey who are keen for a swim in the South China Sea. But we’re taken aback by the sight that greets us: Hidden Beach has virtually disappeared (pardon the pun but the beach is certainly hiding since we last visited). Cubic metres of sand have completely eroded away and what remains is a cliff-like beach and an angry swirling sea.

The Vietnamese women have arranged their wooden deck chairs up much closer to their restaurants now, and it’s no easy feat trying to get to those seats without part of the remaining part of the sand cliff falling down. But nothing stops the younger two from having some fun when they’re in that mindset (yay for that!) so they relish the fact that the beach has disappeared and the effort required to get down to have a swim in the sea is almost like jumping off a cliff.

Steve and I watch Billie and Dacey frolic together in the water, but the Vietnamese woman watching approaches us and tells us they move to the right as there is a strong current on this part of the beach. We watch them with relaxed smiles coming across our faces as they really have some fun together. Frivolous free fun. Lately the air within our family unit has been strained and somewhat withdrawn as we try and come to making a decision about whether we return home at the end of this year or if we stay and take on another year of travel. The kids are not liking us for wanting to continue and our decision (if we make it) to continue is a little in the uncertainty window right now.

Steve and I also take a dip, and the ferocious South China Sea waves and undercurrent feels more like I’m being pushed and pulled and beaten up out here. But it feels exactly what I need right now: a release of baffling emotions that seem to have made their home within me and our family. I look down at the ink on my wrist – the world map and smile. It’s already been two weeks, as of today, that I have had my tattoo and I’m all okay to venture into the sea water, so I take the opportunity to dive under and let the salt water wash all over me.

Dripping with salt water and trying to stand upright in this wild South China Sea, I scream out up to the clouds above and right over to Cham Island, “We are staying! We are staying here and continuing the travel journey!” The release from my voice is at once liberating, and I don’t care if I look like a fool from the handful of keen expat beachgoers or disappointed tourists who chose the wrong day to visit the beach in its state of disappearing. No bliss here especially with me in the water! But it feels so good to express myself out to the Cham gods (or whoever may hear my heart) and the sky and the unrelenting waves until they tear me down and shut me up.

PS The decision once made was straight forward and liberating as you can sense from my description. But once we shared that decision with the kids…there was outrage, shaking heads and plans of a teenager revolution. With four of them on side, it’s a bit unnerving. I’m starting to doubt myself and our decision already! What better way to get some advice from people who know us and our children, or those who are traveling the world longer term with their kids, or who have attempted what we are attempting to do – not return home. It was a mixed bag of advice and suggestions. But I enjoy taking on all of the advice and seeing if it helps make the decision any easier. It doesn’t.

We even hold a family meeting and Charlie takes control with pen and paper and writes down the pros and cons of travelling as well as the pros and cons of returning home. Everyone gets to build the P&C list with a suggestion on each side, regardless of personal preference. Then we wipe out the suggestions that really don’t play an important role in making a final decision. There’s good reasons on both sides. It’s not an easy or straight forward P&C list where the one with the most pros or least cons wins.

What is concerning is that our family is split, or divided, down the middle. On the one hand we adults are very keen to keep traveling and on the other the teenagers are very keen to return home. I think we may have to meet somewhere in the middle and make “life” beyond this year somehow work for all of us.

We made the decision after a long process of yes-no yo-yo’ing. A visit down to Hidden Beach we made that decision. While looking out over the South China Sea, the usual clarity of Cham Island across the water was missing. The sea rough and wild, taking with it huge chunks of beach away. But there I stood, in the choppy, restless water feeling relieved. We had made our decision to stay longer, to continue traveling with our family and somehow make it work.

I dipped in amongst the churning sea that pulled me in all directions, but I was no longer churning internally. I was content and could hear my heart beat pounding in my chest. A definite turning point, a moment to remember.

But a week later, I attend a three hour session called Yin Yoga and journal writing with Kersten who also facilitates the weekly Hoi’An Hub Writing Classes. The purpose is to delve deeply into yourself or an area of your life that you’re wanting an answer to or seeking clarification about. A journey into self and calm reflection while holding yoga poses for up to five minutes at a time sounds perfect for me, and I bike my way to Yoga Nomad last Sunday afternoon armed with an open mind.

The journal writing is extraordinary throughout the Yin Yoga Reflection session accompanied with Himalayan bowls. We answer guided prompts after holding poses for a while and then write down our thoughts. It all flows. I love it. Questions posed for contemplation:

Who am I?

If my body could speak, what would it tell me?

If my heart could speak, what would it tell me?

What are my most frequent thoughts?

What am I avoiding?

I depart the Yin Yoga session on a natural high, centred and calm and ride my bicycle back home to my family. The family that I’m not going to ruin if we stay on the travelling road.

Ebike Touring

The weekend means we’re hiring ebikes and heading off for a day of exploring in and around outer Hoi’An. The new ‘Peta School’ didn’t last much beyond the first week for various reasons, so daily classes stopped and so did the informal hire of the two ebikes. But Steve has managed to find a local supplier up along Cua Dai Road who can supply us with six ebikes for the weekend. They cost 80,000 Dong each for the day and they’re heaps of fun to get around on.

We venture out along the coast past the resorts and stop off at the ferry crossing juncture where a small light house sits. On the way Ash screams and lifts both legs up while driving her ebike as she’s run over a snake (again). It’s already dead and mangled, but we pick it up and throw it into the scrub. Then we head back onto Cua Dai Road and turn left to go over the enormous Cua Cua Bridge and veer left at the end of bridge and cruise along the fishing village foreshore. Then we take the back road into Old Town and enjoy lunch at Mix a little Greek restaurant in Old Town and enjoy a tasty kebab for 50,000 Dong. The girls leave us there, and take their ebikes on their own adventures around town while Steve and I sit and contemplate life.

We finish the day by exploring over the river and enjoy a magical view of the sunset across opposite the Old Town at a place called Nem Restaurant. Steve and I relax and rekindle on a sofa with a cold beer. Nice.

We enjoy a nothing day on Sunday 28 October. We stay in our PJs all day and have fun inside. Late in the afternoon, Steve walks over to our landlord’s house by the river and we are invited to a riverside dining experience with Mr Chuong and Dao – Banh Xeo and morning glory, noodles and salad. It’s delicious and nice sitting with them.

Halloween

It all started with Dacey trialling out her home made open wound putty. Made from Vaseline and plain flour mixed together (as finding proper silicon products is impossible here in Hoi’An) she would leave and go into a bedroom for 10 minutes or so and come out with some horrific wound or head injury. It looked so real – the illusion was amazing. She used Hershey’s chocolate sauce mixed with honey as blood, so it was edible too and soaked tissue paper into the blood mixture to create flappy bits of skin in and around the putty part of the wound. I was so impressed with her creations that I posted them on the Hoi’An Expats Facebook page that if anyone wanted a wound created for their Halloween party, Dacey could do it. Well I didn’t realise how much attention and requests she received.

Here are some examples of her Halloween creations.

Quite a few people messaged me asking for an appointment. So I started booking her up and only asking a nominal fee to cover the costs of the ingredients. Then the manager of the Hoi’An Vietnam Backpackers invited Dacey to come down for two hours and create the special effects makeup of open wounds and bullet holes for the Halloween night and she was paid 500,000 Dong plus dinner and a drink (soft drink of course).

Dacey was a little nervous about the idea of applying her homemade flesh, blood and tissue to other people, but once there she was fine. She coaxed and trained Billie up too so she had a wound moulding helper. Here they are working diligently on faces, arms and necks.

Soup Kitchen

Time is running out before I pop down to Melbourne for a week. So I’m cramming things in before we depart. And one of those crams things is to meet up with a Vietnamese man named Jimmy who operates a Soup Kitchen for poor people in hospitals. Fellow Aussies Wendy and Rudy have been volunteering with Jimmy while they’ve been living in Hoi’An and we met them while looking at houses to rent in Hoi’An and I happened to mention that my background is in marketing. Wendy contacted me and asked if I would be happy to meet with Jimmy and maybe get involved or assist his charity in gaining more traction (and more donation) to help his efforts. Of course!

I ride my bike up to Old Town and wait near the ATMs. Wendy meets me there and we move through the large cloth market of Old Town, passing by stall after stall of fabrics. There I meet Jimmy at his recently opened jewellery shop. He’s a young Vietnamese man who organises a weekly soup kitchen delivery for Vietnamese people who find themselves sick or recovering in hospitals in and around the Hoi’An district. Many of the poor do not have enough money to buy food for their sick ones as all the money goes into purchasing medications so that’s where Jimmy and his local support crew come into it.

Jimmy has a weekly early morning Friday cook up session at the Captain’s house (I have not yet met the Captain) called chop-chop from 6-9am where all the vegetables (many donated by local Vietnamese) are chopped and diced and prepared for the cooking. The soup is cooked very early on Saturday morning between 3-5am and the poured into 30litre containers so they can be transported to the hospitals in an old van. At 5am until 8am Jimmy and his soup kitchen crew travel to three hospitals, some an hour away by car with between 8-15 volunteers following on bikes to assist with the distribution. Jimmy is a lovely man with a heart of gold, who just wants to be able to make life better for some who hit hard times. And he’s committed. I love his charity already.

He also organises three visits per year out to the remote hillside tribes where his charity donates clothes and shoes, and arranges hairdressers to perform haircuts. This chat with Jimmy makes me realise how protected we foreigners are living and traveling in Hoi’An from the harsh reality of poverty and sickness that many Vietnamese experience ongoingly. And they are just an hour away, living in rural villages.

Of course I would love to get involved, I have ideas oozing from my brain cells. But I am also nearing the end of our stay in Hoi’An (I think). The only commitment I can give him is that if we return to Hoi’An next year (2018) to live out our second year of travel, I would happily help him with his charity and get more foreign people involved. This Saturday he is visiting one of the remote hospitals departing at 5am and returning at 8am. It is also the same afternoon Charlie and I fly out from Da Nang to Melbourne – I’d love to make it to experience what happens but the reality of it all won’t work.

My Sharman Experience

A friend, Jane, who is living long term in Hoi’An had told me about her experience with a Vietnamese Sharman. Jane is a beautiful woman with a broad smile and a huge heart. But Jane has been through (and continues) the cancer journey, and although she’s okay now she’s not out of the woods. But her telling me about her experience with the Sharman got me curious and I asked if I could also see the Sharman.

Long story short, her friend arranged an appointment for me to see the Sharman one night in Hoi’An. I was given an address but told not to share this address with anyone else. The Sharman, Diep was a woman who tended to the local Vietnamese market rather than the foreign tourists and I was only able to see the Sharman because I was friends with Jane and if I was friends with Jane that granted me entry because it meant I was an open, respectful and trustworthy person. Lucky for me.

I found the place where I had to meet the Sharman at 8pm. I had no idea what it was going to be like. There inside the house was a vacant room downstairs, so I wondered up the flights of stairs until I saw someone and introduced myself. I was the first to arrive. I waited in the hallway, watching people prepare the room with incense, candles, and other paraphernalia. There was a large wooden cabinet at one end of the room, and on its top were a number of beautiful flower posies and plenty of candles and incense. Other Vietnamese people were climbing the stairs and also waiting with me outside the room in the hallway to see the Sharman.

I watched an older Vietnamese lady walking past me, and enquired to one of the other Vietnamese waiting outside if she was the Sharman. They nodded and continued talking. Whenever I undertake something that has to do with a religious order or spirituality, there’s a part of me that goes straight back to formal private girl school days where we were not allowed to rejoice in the religion, but rather it was something that was feared due to the strict code of silence placed on entering the scared space which in term constricts my energy and the energy force around me. I didn’t like it one bit, and I still don’t like it.

But this place is different. It’s calm and open and not constricting. Of course I was quiet, but the Sharman was relaxed, so too were the other visitors that night. I felt like I belonged – although I really didn’t – but it was a sense of being welcome and accepted as one even though out of a bunch of locals I was the only white, English speaking non-Vietnamese person there.

We entered the room. It was a large room with the wooden cabinet at one end and a set of fold out window doors that were open at the other. We sat on the carpet directly in front of the wooden cabinet and the Vietnamese began their prayers with the Sharman at the front holding a bunch of long, red burning incense sticks. I stood at the back with my hands clasped in front of my chest, in my usual yogic prayer position watching. Then we sat down along the wall and waiting our turn to see the Sharman.

As part of my visit, Jane’s friend organised a translator, the Sharman’s daughter, to sit with me and translate what the Sharman told me. My turn, towards the end of the night, was perfect as I got to witness what the Vietnamese do when seeing a Sharman.

One person at a time sits near the Sharman at the wooden cabinet end. There’s a bench where the Sharman has thin white pieces of paper on and a thick red Texta. She writes continuously on these pieces of flimsy papers and then grabs the person’s hands, palms facing up and starts looking at the meaning in the folds and creases of both palms. She pinches parts of the palm and squeezes others and then lets them go and continues writing and talking. At the end of a Sharman session the person is handed the white paper and it is neatly folded into a small square and handed to the person. This piece of folded paper is meant to bring luck to the Vietnamese and should be carried with them at all times.

My experience was different but lovely. Cost of the experience – nothing. There is no charge for an authentic Sharman reading. The whole idea of seeing a Sharman is to pose your own question or thought that you seek answers to or gain clarity around. Of course mine is: will we continue traveling or will we return home? Sure a Vietnamese Sharman is going to give black and white responses right?!

The Sharman commenced my reading, mumbling as she looked me over then writing her red Chinese-like characters down the middle of the white flimsy paper. She looked up at me again which felt like looking right through me, then prompted for me giver her my hands and then proceeded to study and pinch at my palms saying (amongst other things):

“You make change. This year. Good. Or next year.” And she repeated the message.

Apparently a Sharman channels their other world energy and reads people but doesn’t recall what is said at the actual session. That is the Sharman is a conduit for answers from the spiritual world, and many Vietnamese visit the Sharman seeking answers and direction on a regular basis.

And later after reading my palms again and then writing on the sides of the paper:

“You change business. Go into business on your own. Not with other people.”

There was some interesting family stuff in there as well. When she asked if there was anything else I wanted to know (through a translator), I asked, will my family be okay with the change?

Her response, “Good for you. Good for them. They follow you. Change good for all of you.”

Interesting. She asked if there was anything else. There wasn’t. And with the folding of my piece of white flimsy paper, and a red Texta mark on each of my palms, I was done. I walked out of the room, down the stairs and out onto the street where I sat for a while just processing and writing down the experience that unfolded.

And you know it doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not true, or whether my life works out that way or another. I relished the opportunity of sitting with the Vietnamese folk, both men and women, who come regularly to see the Sharman. What a privilege and an insight. This visit marks the third ‘out there’ experience: 1st Steve and I had our cards read in Australia just before leaving; 2nd Ash and I had our palms read in Udaipur, India, and now 3rd a Vietnamese Sharman.

Boat Ride & Breakfast

Finally, we are catching up with our landlords, Dao and Mr Chuong at 8am to enjoy a river boat ride. We have been talking about doing this for a long time now, and we are going on Mr Chuong’s father’s boat (as he’s a fisherman) and will be having Cao Lau breakfast on the boat.

Interestingly, Dao asked how my Sharman experience went and I discover that she too sees a Sharman and pulls out her neatly folded piece of white paper from her hoodie jumper pocket. It has the same coloured Chinese characters on it. Dao tells me she carries it wherever she goes as it is for good luck.

It’s a glorious morning – the sun may not be out, but there’s a gentle breeze coming off the water and it’s refreshing. I drag Billie and Dacey along for the ride, they’re quite unimpressed with me. I had no luck stirring and inspiring Charlie and Ash to come along, so we left them back at the house. Teenagers and sleep. The 7:30am wakeup call is according to them way too rude.

The journey along the river gives us another perspective of Hoi’An. It’s lovely and there’s so much activity happening on the river – boats, tours, nets are being cast, fishing, and dredging. Mr Chuong’s father takes us up into the smaller alleyways of the river, where we see small villages and more tourist construction. I mostly enjoy watching Dao and Mr Chuong and the way they interact on the boat. They’re so cute, and in love. There is no pubic affection shown in public but just watching them together on the boat lets me see how committed they are to each other. Mr Chuong is pointing things out and Dao is looking and asking questions. Such a beautiful couple.

We stop in the middle of the river and eat breakfast. We passed Mi Quang which is in polystyrene takeaway containers and a small plastic bag containing a dark liquid and sealed tightly with an elastic band is handed out too. Due to the full moon last night and following Buddhist spiritual customs, Dao mentions that we can only eat vegetarian meals today. So we are enjoying Mi Quang without any meat, and I think what I’m consuming is tofu. It tastes delicious, especially the special Hoi’An noodles. But a wind crops up and as we eat with wooden chopsticks out of takeaway polystyrene containers, fresh lettuce flies away with the wind. For the first time in my whole stay so far in Hoi’An I experience coldness and goosebumps appear on my arms and legs.

Hanging Out with Boys

Billie and Dacey are off to hang out with two world traveling boys – Dylan (13 years old) and Ollie (11 years old) – and they have a great afternoon watching movies and eating home delivered pizzas. Dylan and Ollie are Alyson and James’ children who are in their fifth year of world travel. They have just recently made the decision to continue for another year in 2018. The girls return on their bikes later than anticipated very happy to have had some peer time away from their family. Thank you Long family.

Departure Day

The rough wind on the boat has not stopped. The expected forecast is for rain, typhoons and expected flooding in Hoi’An. Charlie and I are departing this afternoon for one week in Melbourne (home in Australia) because Charlie is studying one final year exam and needs to sit that exam in Melbourne while Steve and the other three girls stay in Hoi’An. The bonus is that after this exam Charlie has officially completed year 11 for the year (woohoo!) AND instead pf flying back to Hoi’An immediately, we are taking a side tour to Singapore. Just the two of us. Which I’m really looking forward to.